Trolley wire hanger



April 29, 1941. s, s, MATTHES 2,239,792

TROLLEY WIRE YYANGER Filed Sept. 14, 1939 a i \M/ 1 I J [Hi 20 l w /7/J fkaa 2 564 fzaJ. H fie.

lmnentor SAMUEL 5. MA 271155 Patented Apr. 29, 1941 TROLLEY WIRE HANGER Samuel S. Matthes, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 14, 1939, Serial No. 294,909

2 Claims.

My invention relates to hangers or supports for trolley wires or other conductors whereby the trolley wire may be suspended from or supported by an overhead support which may be a cable or Wire spaced from the trolley wire or conductor and which is parallel to, at right angles to or obliquely disposed to the trolley wire or other conductor.

Another object of my invention is to make certain parts adjustable to permit accommodating the device to different relations of the supporting cable or wire to the trolley wire.

A still further object of my invention is to permit the same to be applied to the supporting cable or wire without disassembling the parts.

My invention is provided with clamping plates or jaws between which the cable or wire or other device supporting the same is clamped, and these plates or jaws are rotatable relative to the other parts of the device and are movable laterally relative thereto within the limits of construction. These jaws or plates are also locked against relative rotation when the device isinstalled on the support.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the parts herein described and shown in the drawing accompanying this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my invention.

Fig. 2 is another side view of my invention shown in Fig. 1 but rotated through 90 about the longitudinal axis xx.

Fig. 3 is an upper face view of the lower clamping member.

Fig. 4 is a lower face view of the upper clamping member.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I employ an insulator member I which may be of wood or molded composition or other suitable material and of such shape as will suit require-'- ments. In the present disclosure I have shown the member I as being an elongated member having enlarged tapered heads. To the lower head is attached a cup-shaped member 2 of metal with the sides drawn into engagement with the sides of the head thereby holding the parts in assembled relation.

Projecting from the member 2 is a threaded stud 3 to which may be attached a trolley wire clamp or ear, as shown in United States Patents 1,461,752 of July 17, 1923, and 2,027,604 of January 14, 1936, or other suitable device. The stud 3 is provided with an enlarged head 4 positioned within the cap 2. The stud 3, however, may be threaded throughout its length and positioned in a threaded opening in the cap as at 5.

Also, attached to the insulator member I but in spaced relation to the cup 2 is means 6 for attaching the device to an overhead support which may be a cable or a wire or other suitable means, but which I include in the terms hereinafter used as a cable or support.

The means 6 comprises an inverted cup-shaped member 1 similar to the cup 2 and attached to the other head of the insulator member I in the same manner.

Projecting from the member 1 is the fixed threaded stud 8 with a head 9 positioned within the cap 1'. Mounted on the stud 8 is a nut It.

The end face ll of the cap I is spherical or arcuate in shape and convex, and provides a bearing surface for the clamping member 12 which is provided with a concave bearing surface to engage the bearing surface II and which is curved to correspond with that of the surface I l.

The member I2 is provided with an opening 13 which is considerably larger than the stud 8 thereby offering considerable space between the side of the opening l3 and the stud 8. It will be evident therefore that the jaw 12 may be rotated about the axis :r-a: and also rocked laterally upon the surface H in a plane common with the axis ;rx depending upon the clearance between the stud 8 and the wall of the opening 13. This permits the hanger to be applied to overhead. constructions in which the support or cable presents various angular relations to the trolley wire.

My invention is also provided with a clamping jaw or member l4 provided with an opening I5 through which extends the stud 8 which is shown in dotted lines in both Figs. 3 and 4.

In Fig. 4 the opening [5 is shown as elongated with considerable space relative to the stud 8 in one direction but considerably less clearance in the other direction thus permitting considerable lateral adjustment in one direction normal to the axis :c:c but quite limited lateral adjustment in the other direction.

The clamping members 12 and M are provided with grooves iii and I! respectively and which cooperate to form the opening l8 to receive cable or other support.

The clamping members l2 and I l are spaced somewhat apart which permits drawing them into clamping relation with the cable or support which may vary in diameter within limits,

The clamping member I2 is provided at one point, preferably opposite the groove IS with an upwardly projecting lug l9 and the clamping member I4 is provided with spaced lugs 20 projecting downwardly and placed opposite the groove I1 and between which lugs 20 the lug I9 is positioned. Either the lugs 20 or the lug 19 or both may engage the adjacent surface of the cooperating jaw and act as a fulcrum or pivot when the clamping members are brought into engagement with the cable or other support.

The described interlocking of the lugs 19 and 20 prevent relative rotation of the members l2 and I4 without checking their relative lateral movements. Such rotation is also prevented by the clamping of the members l2 and I4 upon the cable.

The axis y-y of the opening I3 is spaced a considerable distance from the axis :c:r and from the disclosure it will be apparent that this axis may take varying angular positions about the axis .r-r since it is rotatable about the axis $a: in a plane at right angles thereto and also the lateral movement of the jaws may change to a small extent the spacing between the axes zit-x and y-y.

By the use of the term lateral or laterally in the appended claims, I mean a movement normal to the axis :r-x as in the case of jaw 14 and by rocked or rocking I refer to a movement of the jaw l2 relative to the axis :r:r due to the curved or bearing faces on the cap I and jaw 12, and by rotate or rotatably I refer to the rotation of the jaws about the aXis .r-:r as in a plane normal to the axis.

My invention may be installed by first attaching the trolley wire clamp or ear to the trolley wire and then rotating the stud 3 into position with respect to the clamp or ear, or the clamp or ear may be first attached to the stud 3 and then to the trolley wire.

The nut I0 is then rotated to loosen the jaws l2 and I4 relative to each other to permit them to open sufficiently to receive the cable or other support within the opening [3, the jaws being adjustable relative to the cap I while the jaws are being positioned upon the support.

If the cable or other support to be clamped in the opening [3 is considerably larger in diameter than that of the opening I8, the spherical surface on the members 1 and I2 will permit the member I2 to adjust its position spherically with respect to the cap 1 and the jaw I4 and axis .r-:c whereby the jaws will open farther on the groove side to accommodate the larger cable. bearing faces in engagement between the jaw l4 and the washer 21 or nut Ill holds the jaw [4 normal to the axis :r:r when the jaws are tightened upon a cable, thus forcing the jaw 12 to adjust itself to meet the requirements.

The nut 10 is then rotated into clamping position and the interposed spring washer 2| will prevent the back rotation of the nut Ill.

The stud 8 and nut [0 may have substituted therefor a so-called cap screw in which the nut is a fixed part of the threaded stud and in this case the upper end of the cap I will be threaded to receive the threaded end of the cap screw. The result in this case is the same as with the use of the stud 8 and the nut l0.

It is usual to position the hanger so that the axis x-r will be vertical or substantially so, but the device may be used in any other position as, for instance, in a substantially horizontal position as when used as a strain member.

The off set groove l3 spaced from the axis .r-a: avoids the necessity of removing the nut in and the jaw I4 from the device in order to position it on the supporting cable as would be the case if the axis y-y intersected the axis m-m.

Modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and, therefore, I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. Means for supporting a trolley wire from an overhead cable comprising an insulator, a fitting secured to said insulator and having an external arcuate bearing surface thereon, a threaded stud projecting from said fitting, a clamp mounted on said fitting and having an opening through which the stud projects and also being provided with an arcuate bearing surface to cooperate with the first arcuate surface to permit the clamp to rock upon the arcuate surfaces, the opening in the clamp being larger than the stud whereby the amount of rocking movement of the clamp relative to tin: stud is limited by the size of the said opening, the said clamp being rotatable about the axis of the stud, a second clamp mounted on said fitting and provided with an elongated opening through which said stud extends, said last named opening permitting the second named clamp to move laterally and to rotate in a plane, normal to the axis of the stud, elongated cooperating grooved means on each clamp to receive a supporting cable, the longitudinal axis of the said cooperating grooved means being spaced from and transverse to and in a plane substantially normal to the axis of the stud, interlocking means on the clamps cooperating to prevent the clamps from rotating relative to each other, and threaded means on the stud to move longitudinally thereof when rotated to force the clamps into holding engagement with a cable, the arcuate surfaces on said fitting and first mentioned clamp and the openings through said clamps for said stud providing a mounting for said clamps whereby the first said clamp may rock upon the arcuate surfaces to adjust itself to the size of cable positioned in the grooves of the clamps, and the second clamp may be moved laterally of the stud to adjust the grooved means thereon to that on the first clamp.

2. Means for attaching a trolley Wire to an overhead cable which is laterally disposed relative to the vertical axis of the attaching means, said means comprising an insulator, a fitting for supporting the insulator, said fitting being provided with an external spheric bearing surface and having a threaded stud projecting from said surface, a clamp mounted on the said spheric surface curved to correspond to the first said spheric surface and cooperating with the first said spheric surface to effect a rocking'movement of the clamp relative to the fitting in all directions, said clamp having an opening therethrough for said stud the amount of the said movement being limited by the walls of the opening through the clamp, a second clamp comprising a plate-like member provided with an opening through which projects the stud, the opening through said second clamp being oblong to permit the clamp to move laterally of the stud in a-plane normal to the stud axis and to rotate about the axis of the stud, the last said clamp being mounted above the first clamp and provided with means cooperating with the other clamp to form a fulcrum, each clamp provided With a groove cooperating with a groove on the other clamp to form an elongated opening to receive and grip a supporting cable, the

said elongated opening having its longitudinal axis spaced laterally from the axis of the stud and extending transversely thereof, the upper surface of the second clamp being substantially flat, threaded means on the stud to force the second clamp towards the first clamp and into clamping engagement with a cable in the grooves, said spheric surfaces and the openings through said clamps for said stud providing a mounting for said clamps whereby the first said clamp may rock upon said spheric surfaces relative to the axis of said stud to permit the first said clamp to adjust itself to the size of a cable in the grooves, and means associated with the insulator to attach a trolley wire thereto.

SAMUEL S. MATTHES. 

